The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

Trooper, The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment - Portrait Sitting - Copyright © Rory Lewis Non Profit (Heroes in Focus), All Rights Reserved. The Heroes in Focus non-profit is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. EIN 33-2920765 All contributions to Heroes in Focus are tax-deductible according to IRS regulations.

In June 2021, I had the privilege of returning to Hyde Park Barracks to photograph the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR). Having first captured portraits of this elite unit in 2016, it was an honour to revisit and document a new chapter in their story — this time including some of the first female soldiers to serve in the Regiment.

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is among the most distinguished mounted units in the world. Tasked with ceremonial duties, they embody centuries of tradition as part of the Household Division, serving as the Monarch’s official bodyguard and providing escorts at state and royal occasions.

Lance Corporal of Horse, The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment - Portrait Sitting - Copyright © Rory Lewis Non Profit (Heroes in Focus), All Rights Reserved. The Heroes in Focus non-profit is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. EIN 33-2920765 All contributions to Heroes in Focus are tax-deductible according to IRS regulations.

A Regiment of Tradition and Change

The HCMR traces its heritage to 1945, when The Life Guards and The Royal Horse Guards each formed mounted squadrons in London. These units later united as the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, based since 1795 at Knightsbridge Barracks, just a short ride from Buckingham Palace. Today, the Regiment comprises sabre squadrons from both The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals, supported by a Headquarters Squadron and the Household Cavalry Training Wing.

Captain, The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment - Portrait Sitting - Copyright © Rory Lewis Non Profit (Heroes in Focus), All Rights Reserved. The Heroes in Focus non-profit is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. EIN 33-2920765 All contributions to Heroes in Focus are tax-deductible according to IRS regulations.

Lance Corporal of Horse, The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment - Portrait Sitting - Copyright © Rory Lewis Non Profit (Heroes in Focus), All Rights Reserved. The Heroes in Focus non-profit is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. EIN 33-2920765 All contributions to Heroes in Focus are tax-deductible according to IRS regulations.

Trooper, The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment - Portrait Sitting - Copyright © Rory Lewis Non Profit (Heroes in Focus), All Rights Reserved. The Heroes in Focus non-profit is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. EIN 33-2920765 All contributions to Heroes in Focus are tax-deductible according to IRS regulations.

Lance Corporal of Horse, The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment - Portrait Sitting - Copyright © Rory Lewis Non Profit (Heroes in Focus), All Rights Reserved. The Heroes in Focus non-profit is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. EIN 33-2920765 All contributions to Heroes in Focus are tax-deductible according to IRS regulations.

From the daily King’s Life Guard at Horse Guards Parade to the Sovereign’s Escort at Trooping the Colour, the HCMR continues to uphold ceremonial duties central to the image of the British monarchy. Their presence has graced many of the most significant state occasions of our era, from the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II to the coronation of King Charles III.

Documenting the First Female Soldiers

My 2021 sitting was particularly meaningful. For the first time, women had begun serving within the Regiment — a historic moment for the Household Cavalry. To photograph these pioneering soldiers alongside their male comrades was to witness the evolution of an institution steeped in heritage.

These portraits capture more than uniforms or ceremony; they chronicle the living transformation of the British Army. As an artist, it is moments like these — where history, identity, and progress converge — that give portraiture its enduring power. The camera becomes both witness and archive, preserving the faces of those who continue to define Britain’s ceremonial life.